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Ritsuka rubbed her eyes, shivering as she felt a fierce, cold wind prick her skin like needles. She shot upright, the tiredness in her body fading away quickly as she looked at her surroundings.
This isn’t my room…!
After many of these “events”, Ritsuka could react clearly to almost any situation thrown at her, no matter how strange.
Like now, being awakened in what looked to be a broken-down wooden cottage. Nobody else was in the small room with her, and the fire in the stone fireplace was slowly getting dimmer as harsh winds blew through the open cracks of the house.
Not knowing why she was here or what she was meant to do, Ritsuka stood up from the flimsy bed she slept on and put on her shoes that were resting haphazardly on the floor. She attempted to contact Chaldea by pressing the button on the transceiver but all she heard back was loud static.
Figures. Can’t have anything be easy in this place.
She sighed and removed her hand from the button, annoyed that this was happening again. She couldn’t catch a damn break with all this nonsense. It’s not like there was much else she could do except continue forward. Ritsuka noticed her large coat on the broken table and quickly threw it on before trudging outside.
As if by magic, the wind storm outside had ceased, instead turning into a light sprinkle of snow. Ritsuka extended her hand forward and watched as a few snowflakes drifted slowly to her palm and melted. Thanks to her coat that functioned as a mystic code, she was practically immune to the effects of the cold. She was grateful she had this with her and examined the scenery outside.
Not much stood out from her view, just a bunch of white snow and barren trees. She squinted and focused harder and noticed a black castle in the distance towards the left, on the highest point of a small hill.
I should start there. I might find more clues there or on the way. Civilization should be closest that way and I can maybe run into a stray servant or two.
Armed with nothing but her courage, she trudged towards the location of the castle.
Judging from the location of the sun, it was still early morning, leaving her ample time to continue her journey before nightfall.
It was a peaceful walk, which she was thankful for, but she felt an odd sense of foreboding. Perhaps it was nerves, or maybe it was her overthinking (which she seemed to be doing a lot of recently), but it felt a bit… too peaceful. Since being in Chaldea, she had gotten too used to high-stress situations that anytime there was quiet for a bit too long, she began to assume the worst. There was always a calm before the storm. And that was always the worst part about it being peaceful in Chaldea.
There would never be true peace so long as all these threats existed.
She scoured the woods for any sign of life, yet found nothing. No chirping of wildlife, no foliage on the ground- just dead, barren trees atop a white wasteland.
What the hell is this place? What is going on?
She paused her movements and got herself in a protective stance- one that Spartacus had taught her during their training. She felt the sensation of being watched, but the fact that nothing was around made it that much more unnerving.
“Hey! Show yourself! Whoever you are! I don’t wanna fight you if I don’t have to!”
No response.
She waited a few more seconds, allowing them a chance to peacefully approach her. She had to bluff her strength, since she had no weapons or servants on her at the moment. If she looked threatening enough, they might relent and not fight her.
Again, no response.
She relaxed herself and began walking when she heard the sound of snow being stepped on behind her. Ritsuka leapt into the air in shock, recovering herself and swiftly turning her heel to see what made the noise.
Behind her was a man, or what vaguely resembled one. The man had a sharp jaw and short, untamed silver hair. His eyes glowed a bright gold and Ritsuka was drawn to them. His left eye looked normal, but his right eye’s sclera was as black as night, making his golden orbs that much more intimidating. She examined him upward and noticed large, black horns on his head that curved to the back of his head. To the sides of the horns were wolf-like ears that twitched with every breath she took.
Her eyes cast downwards and saw he was wearing a heavy, black cape that draped over his body. Almost no other features were shown as they were obscured by the black fabric and white fur trim. Even in this cold, it looked like it would be suffocating to wear.
“W-who are you?” She asked, cursing herself for revealing the fear in her voice. His ears twitched again and he growled under his breath.
Don’t turn your back to him. Do not make yourself vulnerable.
She readied her defensive position again and waited with bated breath for what the man would do next.
He frowned as he saw her movements and seemed disappointed in her.
“Pathetic.”
“Huh? Wait-,” she began, but the man disappeared as quickly as he came. She looked around and was worried he would attack her at a different angle. No such attack came, and she felt confused at what had just happened.
She stood straight up and felt her heart racing a mile a minute. She had to leave this place. The coast seemed clear and she didn’t notice any footprints (funny, he didn’t leave any where he was) and dashed out of the woods. She couldn’t risk being cornered in isolation. Her only hope was that castle.
She ran as fast and as far as she could, not caring about how badly her feet hurt or how her chest was tightening uncomfortably. She dealt through worse. She could persevere.
Soon Ritsuka managed to leave the forest and the clearing to a small village came to view. She sighed in relief as she slowed down her pace to brisk pace and looked up to check on the position of the sun. Not much time had passed and she thankfully could afford a breather.
She collapsed to her knees on the soft snow and tried to regain her breath. Her body was aching and sore and she wished she had some water.
The cool snow against her hot face was incredible, and Ritsuka had to mind herself to not fall asleep on the ground. With a bit of coaxing, she forced herself up and walked the remaining distance to the village.
She cheered internally when she saw a collection of stone houses, but her excitement faltered when she saw the town looked as dead as the forest.
Windows were shattered (if there were any at all), doors ripped off their hinges and revealing tons of snow had blown into the empty houses, and holes were littered upon the roofs.
If there was any life in this place… they’ve surely been gone for a long time.
Still, if there was any chance at survival or clues, she had to find them. It was one of the rules of exploration that Da Vinci and Sherlock taught her.
Know your surroundings. Learn all you can. Find civilization. Find friends.
She opened one of the doors to a small shack and the door creaked in an unsettling manner. She grit her teeth at the sound and found the room was empty, save for a tiny, rotten bed. The cloth and blanket that covered the bed were eaten by bugs and the floorboards were covered in mold.
She shivered at the way the house was in such disrepair, before moving onto the second one. The second house was slightly larger than the first, and it was in better shape. Unlike the first, it still had some decorations, including a globe, a map, a taxidermied wold head hanging upon the wall, and a drawer. She rummaged through the drawers and found many of them covered in a thick layer of dust.
Ritsuka coughed at the mess before she found a drawer with something inside it. A journal.
She took it out and examined it from all angles- brown, leather, small, and smelled of dust.
She opened it to the first page, hoping to see if the owner had written a name, but found it was scratched off.
Strange…
She flipped to the second page and a familiar scent filled her nose.
It smelled…cold, like a forest in winter. She sniffed it again and tried to place this scent to someone or something she knew. It was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t name who it belonged to. It was there, so close, yet so far.
She wracked her brain through almost every servant she knew- Sherlock? Moriarty? Cu? Arthur? Sigurd?
None of them fit. None of them matched this smell that she knew existed somewhere.
She gave up and attempted to read the journal.
Tuesday, December 24, 20XX
It’s Christmas Eve, so my family is having the annual Wigilia feast. In under a day, my life will change, and I can start over. I can finally be someone useful. They said this feast was extra special to give me a sendoff- but I know the real reason. It’s a warning. A way to remind me that if I fail, I will lose all support from the family. I will have no where to go if I don’t make it.
My parents are not even the most religious, and yet they’re going to Mass to pray for my success. I don’t have any clue what will happen if I don’t meet their expectations. But they’re putting so much effort now, and I know that means that the punishment will be worse than if they had kept no faith in me.
They’re rubbing it in to remind me that the family name is resting on me. If I can’t prove myself now, they’ll make sure I know that I was the reason the family had died off. The rest of the Mage society already acts like we’re dead, and I’ll just be the final nail on the coffin to that.
I hate all these people. But they don’t matter right now. Because I’m better. I’m way better than most of them. That’s why I was chosen and scouted as a top recruit. That’s why I am the one who is going to-
The rest of the text was illegible.
Considering the potential year written, this place must have been overrun with magus within the last twenty years or so. She had no clue what Wigilia was, but if given the chance, she’d look it up later at Chaldea. It must be an important event. Not to mention, this writer was going to do or be a part of something. But what could it be?
Beyond the evidence she could gleam from this, she felt a sense of pity for the writer. She had known how cruel magi could be, and thankfully, she was spared from a majority of their wrath and politics due to the Chaldea staff. All of them made sure to remind her that her power was due to who she was innately, not her bloodline.
If this person was given the same affection and safety as her, would they have been so scared or nervous? What would they be like?
That was too many questions to ask, too many to theorize on that would end up nowhere.
She read another entry, this time detailing the author’s acceptance into a new workplace and group. The next entry was simply the author’s schedule, complete with a hand-drawn timetable. A lot of focus was placed on magical training and meetings.
The thing that bothered her the most about these entries was the fact so many details were crossed out and censored- almost as if someone did not want her reading this. But who would have the time to do so?
Friday, 20XX.
I don’t give a single shit anymore. I don’t care anymore. I hate them. I hate them. I hate all of them, and I hate the fact I have to play nice with them. Why did she have to die? Why was she taken from me?
I want to be back home with her, alone in the snow. I want to never know another person in my life if it means I could be away from all this pain. I hope the world burns. I hope every living thing in it dies. I don’t need others, not when I have more than enough power to keep them all away.
They’ll pay for this.
They’ll all pay for this.
Including -
The hate filled rant ended there, a bunch of murky, black ink covering the bottom of the page. Ritsuka felt her heart sink in shock. So much for hoping this person would find happiness or be able to make their mark. Instead, it looks like they simply lost everything.
She cradled the notebook in her arms sadly, as if hoping to relieve some of the author’s pain. As if pretending that just a little sympathy would get them to understand the world wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t truly awful.
Seeing as she had wasted enough time here, she put the notebook into an empty pocket of her coat. Sure, it wasn’t her belongings, but she wished to take it as a reminder to herself and for a chance for this author to feel some sort of warmth. It would be better to honor their memory on her bookshelf, instead of having this account covered in dust and forgotten.
She walked out of the house and traversed to the remaining five houses. None of them had much in there, or at least, nothing she saw of value. One had a bookshelf, but all were in Chinese. The other had a map of the stars as well as a bunch of golden medals hanging on a display. One had a blue fire still burning bright in the fireplace (perhaps it was magic?). One had a wheel with eight points on the wall atop a barren room without even a bed. One had a dead wolf carcass in the middle of the floor, its blood spilled on the floor (Ritsuka shrieked at the sight and nearly gagged at the smell). The last house had nothing. Not even a bed. Not any sort of discernible features or accessories. It was a room. An empty room. And unlike the others, some of which were in some state of disarray, this room was perfectly clean and spotless. No dust, no mildew, no cracks in the wall- it was as if it was just made yesterday.
She wondered why these rooms were decorated like that, why some had items and others didn’t. None of it made sense, but she guessed she shouldn’t question any of the logic of otherworld events.
She exited the last house and gazed at the black castle. It was a void that seemed to not reflect any light, seemingly swallowing the sun’s rays and leaving it as an abyss. It looked as if it was made of crystals, almost so fragile that if she breathed too hard in its direction it would shatter into a million pieces.
By all means, it looked dangerous to attempt going inside. But her curiosity got the best of her, and she was running out of ideas. With bated breath, she ran to the castle and knocked on the door.
She didn’t hear a response and knocked again. This time, the door creaked open slowly, revealing the inside of the castle was just as dark as its outer appearance. She tried to make out her surroundings with the last bit of light peeking from the door, but without warning, the door began to shut.
“Wait!” She yelled, jumping to the door to keep it propped open, but it was too late. The door slammed closed with a resounding thud, and she tried to turn the handle to open it again. It jangled in her hands, but wouldn’t budge.
Crap, now I’m stuck.
She took a deep breath before she summoned a glowing light from her hand, something that Medea had taught her in case of emergency. She was thankful she paid attention to Medea’s lessons, or else she would have most likely run around blind.
Ritsuka held up her hand to various parts of the wall, trying to find a switch or anything that could help her. Nothing was on the wall, and she sighed in annoyance at being unable to find anything.
She turned around, only to be met face to face with the figure from the woods.
She let out an ear piercing scream and swung her arm at him to punch him. Before her fist could strike him, the man blocked her hand and gripped it in his sharp black claws.
Wait… claws…?
Ritsuka gaped at the completely black hand with pointed nails that had her hand in a vice.
“L-let go of me!” She struggled.
“You attacked me first, then you demand I let you go? What are you doing here?” His voice was low and Ritsuka gulped.
“I woke up here and I am trying to leave-”
“Leave? Hah, no one can just leave from here,” the man smirked.
“What do you mean?”
“Yeah, no one can leave. If anything, I don’t even know how you got in here. No one is supposed to be here, especially not someone from…,” his eyes glared down towards her collar, where the silver emblem of Chaldea shone from the dim light of her magic. He let out a low growl. “Chaldea.”
“Y-you’re from Chaldea?” Ritsuka asked.
“Not just from there- I was top dog. But I bet no one was there to tell them about me, huh? Bet everyone else tried to hide how disappointing I was, right? I’m surprised there even is a Chaldea left after I destroyed it all. Tch, mages are really a pest.”
Ritsuka froze.
“What do you mean? Who are you?”
The man let go of her and she fell to the ground. She readied her hand and mind to recite a spell to attempt her escape from him should he try to attack.
“I do not remember the name that I was born with. But I do know the name of what those Chaldean assholes called me.”
The man stroked one of his horns and looked at Ritsuka with a sadistic grin.
“I am one half of Beast X. I am Isolation.”
Ritsuka’s eyes went wide and she put her hands to the floor.
“A Beast?” She panicked, trying to sound strong.
Being stuck in a room with an enemy was one thing, but a beast-class opponent was an entirely different thing.
“Yes, a Beast! The Beast that Chaldea didn’t even know existed! The ones they couldn’t fight and defeat! But I am better than that- I not only killed Beasts, I became one!”
“But why? Why would you want that?”
Isolation paused before he opened his large robe, revealing an ornate, white suit littered with gold stars and a red sash on his shoulder.
“You’re lucky I am nicer than other Beasts,” he smugly explained. “I don’t actually remember why. I think I had someone close to me. But why would anyone ever need people when you can simply be on your own without pain? People are a pain. People are the reason we fight and die and kill. I simply remove everyone within my realm and continue my life.”
“Th-that’s it?” Ritsuka yelled, finding her voice after hearing his explanation. “That’s cruel!”
“Cruel? Me? I am the cruel one? Who do you think you’re working for? The good guys? Chaldea is just a bunch of warmongers trying to do the selfish thing every other Magus has ever done. Every person you see is just greedy and waiting to take everything from you. You’re no different.”
“True but… I really don’t want to hurt you. I know that’s hard for you to believe, but I want nothing from you.”
“Liar!” He raised his voice. “You’re a liar! The minute you leave you’ll just get Chaldea to hunt me down. You came here with the hope someone would be able to help you, but tough shit, you’re stuck with me. I run this place, and I won’t let you go!”
Ritsuka exhaled to calm her nerves. She couldn’t fight him, not in this state. She’d have to appeal to him somehow- to just remember being alongside other people.
“Okay, fine, I won’t go, but can you answer my questions then?”
“No. I’m not bothering with you. You’re lucky I’m allowing you to live. Stay out of the way or else I’ll take it all back.”
She frowned, but given the circumstances, she sighed and nodded.
“Fine. Open the lights then,” she demanded.
“So impatient, jeez,” Beast X rolled his eyes and snapped his claws, causing many lamps within the room to light up in succession. Ritsuka could finally see the room and made out a large set of staircases that led up to various wings.
Without another word, X walked away, leaving Ritsuka to stare at his flowing cape in stunned silence.
She didn’t know what to think about this situation- she faced some Beast-class servants before, but X seemed so strange. He didn’t attack her, in fact, it was like he wanted to do nothing with her.
Maybe that’s just because of his ‘Isolation’ title. But this is strange… he was once a part of Chaldea and he destroyed it? Yet no one ever mentioned him or the fact there was a Beast roaming around. Does Chaldea really not know he’s here? If so, he must be doing something to cover his tracks from them. And this purge here, it could be because of the Lostbelts, but given the fact that those houses looked so bad, he must have done it earlier.
The thought made a shiver run through her body. She understood some concepts of Beasts- they had to love humanity. But what kind of servant would do this?
And why is he so adamant that being alone is the way for people to not be hurt?
She gasped when she remembered the notebook in her coat pocket. She took it out scanned through the pages.
Wait a minute… the story lines up somewhat.
She filled in some of the blanks. X must have been a part of Chaldea, personally scouted by Marisbury to be considered so important. X would be considered an elite team member before he would turn against Chaldea- and by extension, the world- due to losing ‘her’. Whoever ‘she’ was.
But she needed more evidence now, especially to find a way back home and to prove to Chaldea he existed. There was plenty of questions she still had- for one thing, from the journal, he was just a regular magus born into a human family. Yet here he was, proudly flaunting his status as a Beast to show how above humanity he was.
How did he get there? And who was he before he became a Beast?
She had a sneaking suspicion, but something wasn’t lining up.
It can’t be him. He isn’t a Beast. And… I don’t think he’d be capable of doing this.
A sinking feeling grew in her stomach. This didn’t make sense.
She stood up and opened the door at the end of the room, revealing a large ballroom.
Unlike the other parts of this castle, this room was a pure white with reflective floors and shimmering chandeliers in pristine condition. It was massive and positively gorgeous. Ritsuka would be impressed with it if it weren’t for the fact she was trapped here.
Her eyes darted around the room until they landed on a crystal grand piano. It stood out from the other gold decorations and Ritsuka walked towards it.
She looked around to make sure X wasn’t nearby, and chuckled to herself before she sat on the stool. She stretched her hands and played a key. The sound the piano made was beautiful, and Ritsuka marveled at how lovely it was.
If only Mozart and Salieri could see this- they’d love it.
She had the opportunity to be tutored by them once in a while, and though she wasn’t an expert, she could manage to hold a tune.
Her fingers stroked the keys in an unsure manner, hoping to try her best while still hesitating.
She could play it without sheet music, but the fear she’d hit a wrong note sat in her mind.
She was unsteady, and she recognized points where she hit a key too fast or another one too slow.
The song soon came to an end and the empty ballroom was silent again.
“What are you doing?” A voice asked, and Ritsuka jumped from her seat.
“God, you gave me a heart attack! What the hell is wrong with you?”
X didn’t acknowledge the last comment and stared at her curiously.
“What was that song?”
“Oh, that?” She replied, naming the song. He hummed and repeated it quietly.
“That song sounded familiar.”
“Where did you hear it before?”
He shook his head.
“I can’t remember. I can’t remember where or when, but I am sure I heard that song being played before. With… with someone there. And they played it for me.”
Ritsuka nodded solemnly.
“So you don’t remember much?” She questioned.
“No. Not really. I only have bits and pieces of it. It’s like… ugh, why am I even trying to explain this to you?” He huffed.
“It’s okay! I can’t go anywhere so we might as well chat.”
“There isn’t anything to chat about because I have nothing to say to you.”
“Then why are you keeping me here?” Ritsuka shouted as he turned his back to her. “If you want nothing to do with me, then let me go!”
“Are you stupid? I already told you why.”
“That can’t be it. You’re a Beast of humanity. You could easily kill me or defeat everyone in Chaldea again. So why am I still alive?”
X quietly stared at her before he shook his head.
“Shut up. That doesn’t concern you.”
“It does! It does concern me!” Ritsuka retorted. “Because I don’t know who you are or why you’re doing this. You’re lying to me or hiding something from me. Unless you think you’re too weak to fight me off? Is that it?”
“Shut up!” X roared. “I am NOT weak, not anymore! You people die too easily, just like…”
He clamped his mouth shut and rubbed his temple with a clawed hand.
“Like…?” Ritsuka quietly asked.
X didn’t respond, and she was about to complain he was ignoring her before he stared up at the chandelier, and the ballroom seemed to weave in and out of a vision. Ritsuka gasped as the room changed in brief flashes, revealing an entirely different scene.
The room was glowing a bright amber, filled with lights and people of all different shapes and sizes. Ritsuka heard the sound of music and saw the piano keys were being played alongside the appearance of a full blown orchestra.
She recognized through the blurry visions that the song being remembered was the one she was just playing. X was staring in a trance, looking at the door that was a stellar gold instead of the murky black it was before.
Ritsuka couldn’t say a word as she watched X shake in what looked to be fear and sadness.
She stepped closer to him, reaching out a hand to him to comfort him. She was about to open her mouth when someone beat her to it.
“Kadoc,” a voice whispered happily, and Ritsuka looked to see it was a blurry image of a woman with a white dress on. She had pale blue and gold details and accessories on her, and although the memory X conjured was fuzzy, she saw a small smile on her face. No eyes. No hair. No other distinguishing features except the woman’s smile as she gently touched the Beast’s face.
Ritsuka watched in shock at X- Kadoc- as a single tear dripped down his cheek as a clawed hand shakily reached out to rest atop the image of the woman’s hand.
The tender moment was broken as his hand went right through her, and with that, reality went back to what it was before Kadoc had remembered that scene.
The gold light was fading, and Kadoc tried to snatch the remaining bit of light within his palm. He held it tightly to his chest before he opened his claw, and it revealed there was nothing inside.
His body trembled as he covered his eyes and let out a howl of pain, losing the one thing that connected him to his original humanity.
Ritsuka bit her lip, struggling to decide what to do. He was a Beast of humanity- someone who could end the world… but he looked like such an injured, scared beast at his limits. She couldn’t deny someone in pain.
She continued her steps to him and placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.
He peeled back his hands enough for her to see his bloodshot eyes as he failed to contain his breath.
“Go away. Leave…” he murmured.
She refused, staying firm as she stroked his shoulder gently.
“Why? Why are you…” he gulped. “You humans… you’re all so weak. You make others love you. You make others care for you. Then you leave, and now everyone is left broken. You leave and it’s everyone else who has to pick up the pieces. It would be so much easier if no one could feel that.”
“Not necessarily,” Ritsuka replied.
“Save it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need humans. I don’t need anyone. I sure as hell don’t need you. Now go,” he ordered.
“Huh?” Ritsuka gasped as she felt a sensation yanking her away from him. “Wait!”
Kadoc stood up straight, seemingly brushing away his earlier weakness like water off a duck’s back.
“There is no wait. I’m tired of hearing you, I’m tired of seeing you, just go away before I make you leave this world forever!”
He clenched his hand and a concentration of dark magic flowed to it. The mana was overwhelming and Ritsuka prepared an evasion spell as the miasma in the room thickened.
Kadoc screamed to the heavens and unleashed the overflowing magic to where Ritsuka stood, before she even had the chance to fire her spells. She tried to plant her feet on the ground to avoid being sucked into the black hole that was quickly growing in size, but it was proving futile with the way her feet were sliding across the tile.
“You! Never return, or mark my words- I will make you wish I killed you instead! You believe people are worth letting in? Fine- but when they hurt you, don’t come back crying to me!” He laughed sadistically and pathetically. “Enjoy the hell that humanity has to offer!”
Ritsuka felt she was being swallowed whole and outstretched her hand one last time.
“KADOC!” She screamed as loud as she could, as desperately as she could, hoping he would…
What am I even trying to do…?
Her eyes went wide as she tried to process the rush of emotions within her. She didn’t understand why she felt such a pull to him or why she even wanted to stick around to help. She shot one last glance at him, and he looked as if he were just as surprised as her.
“Ka-” she tried to speak, but was silenced as she went under.
It felt like drowning beneath a frozen lake. The freezing sensation made her shiver and shriek in pain, before she felt a warmth on her skin.
She dared herself to open her eyes, and found many pairs of eyes staring back at her.
She thrust her body up and examined all the worried faces that were watching her.
Goredolf, Mash, and Da Vinci breathed a sigh of relief as Ritsuka awoke, but she couldn’t care at the moment. The other thing that had caught her eye was the figure sleeping in the medical bed nearby.
She was about to get off when she felt the tug of the IV in her arm.
“G-get it off,” she hoarsely cried.
“Wait! Ritsuka! We can’t take it off, you haven’t recovered since you fainted,” Da Vinci tried to explain and push her back down gently.
“No, no, no, I have to see… him…” she begged. “Take it out. Put it back in later. Please.”
Da Vinci pursed her lips and removed the IV carefully from her. Ritsuka quickly jumped out of the bed, and although her legs were wobbly and weakened, she pushed through to reach the other bed.
She shook the figure lightly before she gripped his face within her hands.
“Kadoc… Kadoc… wake up… come on…” she delicately asked. The white haired boy seemed to stir awake, groaning slightly before his gold eyes fluttered open. Ritsuka sighed in relief as he woke up and she found his eyes were normal.
“Wha…” Kadoc tiredly began. Ritsuka felt her eyes water as she let out a dry laugh.
“You’re okay… you’re really okay,” she happily stated. She threw her arms around him and his eyes shot open.
“Wait, it wasn’t real?” He whispered. Ritsuka shook her head, somehow not understanding yet knowing what he was asking. The details didn’t matter. She was home, and he was alright, not the tortured Beast she had dreamt of. That was just a terrible nightmare.
But they were back in reality now.
He slowly reciprocated her hug, just like they did before on her birthday. They shed a few tears like they did during that night, but this felt different. It felt completely different.
For once, Ritsuka thought to herself, she was just happy to see Kadoc as he was right now. Kadoc’s eyes stared deep into hers, and he reached out a hand to wipe her tears. An exhausted grin made its way onto his lips as she stared down at him.
“Can’t believe I’m saying this but… I’m glad to see you,” he stated.
She nodded at him and placed her hand over his.
“I’m glad to see you too.”
Da Vinci awkwardly coughed and the two remembered they were in the medical ward of Chaldea.
“So, it looks like we interrupted something pretty heavy haha…” the little genius started. “But I’m gonna have to ask you two to break up this reunion and explain what the heck happened. You both have been out for almost a week!”
Ritsuka nodded, not even fazed at the notion she was out. So be it, she thought, this was just Chaldean life.
At least that nightmare is over. I don’t have to think much about it.
She relaxed herself with that statement and sat back on her bed while Da Vinci called Asclepius to help them both.
She noticed her coat was hanging up in the coat hanger nearby and wondered if that was a reason for her specifically dreaming up that scenario.
However, in the giant pocket of the coat, she noticed something small poking out from it.
The brown notebook she had taken before.